Thursday, March 15, 2007
Comic books have been turned into feature-length films for almost 30 years now, but rarely have they been as innovative or enthralling as the work of Frank Miller. In 2005, Miller helped bring his Sin City comic to life, producing one of the most exciting films in years. He also helped resurrect the Dark Knight by inspiring Batman Begins. Miller’s work is brought to the big screen once again, this time with lackluster results, with the release of 300.
The film tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, in which a band of only 300 Spartans fought off at least 200,000 Persians intent on taking over Greece. But the truth is just too boring, so historical inaccuracies are woven throughout.
300 has a distinct color pattern and countless men and women in peak physical condition, so there’s no doubt that it’s nice to look at. The film also proves that action sequences can be effective even if they are all in slow motion.
Unfortunately, the moments between action scenes bog the movie down. When the characters aren’t fighting, they’re talking, which is where the problem lies. Much of the dialogue is taken verbatim from Miller’s comic. While Miller can craft a great story, he doesn’t have much of a penchant for the way people talk. The hammy dialogue might have worked for the noir-driven Sin City, but here it cheapens the characters and the thrills they’re supposed to produce.
Ultimately, 300 can be exciting, but it seems that when it gets going, it slows itself down, along with the audience’s interest.
Rated: R
Running time: 120 minutes
** out of 5 stars
Elektra
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